Mixed Martial Arts

[Guiness]

Five fights announced for UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden

By MMA Fighting Newswire

Sep 21, 2016, 8:53p

 

The UFC's maiden voyage to Madison Square Garden in New York City finally is taking shape.

On Wednesday night, five fights were made official for UFC 205, which takes place Nov. 12 at MSG. Among them was the welterweight clash between Donald Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum, along with a featherweight bout between Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens. The fights were announced on UFC Tonight.

 

Also made official for the card was middleweight bouts between former 205-pound champion Rashad Evans and Tim Kennedy, as well as a Tim Boetsch and Rafael Natal. The other fight that was announced as a women's strawweight bout between New Jersey-based fighter Katlyn Chookagian and Liz Carmouche, who hasn't fought since April 2015.

 

UFC 205 will be the first event the promotion has ran in the state of New York since UFC 7 back in 1995.

[Guiness]

 

 

UFC 205 Press Conference

 

Edited September 28, 2016 by hahnz

[yahsure28]

any recommended MMA gym in Makati area?

[Hari ng Spakol]

http://cdn.mmanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/penn-lamas-ufn.jpg

[Guiness]

UFC 204 OCT 8

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQgS0JZcB4

[bughaw1]

www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/10/6/13188940/ufc-manila-cancelled-following-injury-to-bj-penn-mma-news

 

cancelled ufc manila

Edited October 7, 2016 by bughaw1

[Guiness]

UFC 204: Official Weigh-in

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxZ3smppiB8

[cyanblue69_03]

Like it

[The Cunning Linguist]

Hendo is already slurring when he talks, and he's way up there in age. I hope he retires after this whether he wins or not.

[Guiness]

Philippine commission issues statement on rumors concerning UFC Manila

Members from the MMA media brought up rumors about possible drug tests and passports being confiscated concerning the UFC Manila cancellation.

by Anton Tabuena

Oct 7, 2016, 6:00a

 

Shortly after UFC Manila was cancelled, a couple of MMA media members started mentioning rumors about a different reason for putting the show off. BJ Penn was injured and they decided not to push through with the October 15 event, but FloCombat’s Jeremy Botter and TalkMMA claim it was because of the Philippine government and the controversial leader’s policies.

Botter doubled up on these statements.

The Games and Amusement Board, which sanctions and oversees MMA and other sporting events in the country, has since issued a statement on the cancellation of the event.

“We at the Games and Amusement board (GAB) are deeply saddened by the cancellation of the UFC event on October 15 at the MOA arena,” GAB Chairman Abraham Mitra said on a statement released on Friday.

 

“We have received official communication from Mr. David Lewis of the UFC informing us that the event will have to be re-scheduled due to an injury sustained by BJ Penn. We respect this decision of the organizers and will only require them to ensure the reimbursement of patrons who may have already purchased their tickets.”

 

They also addressed the claims brought up by a few members of the international MMA media.

“We are equally saddened by the rumors that the cause of the cancellation is the drug testing procedure that GAB requires of all professional athletes. This procedure has been in place through the years for no other purpose than to ensure the safety of unarmed combatants and to preserve the integrity of professional sports in the country.”

 

“The insinuations dragging the country’s anti-drugs campaign into this issue are unfair, irresponsible and counter-productive. Third parties should not take this unfortunate cancellation to take a stab at our President’s efforts to cleanse our country of illegal drugs.”

“We look forward to our continuing relations with the UFC and the MMA world. We are confident that the organizers will clarify this for the benefit of everyone.”

 

For those who are unfamiliar with the process in the Philippines, the Games and Amusement Board requires cornermen, judges, and competitors to have licenses before they are able to work at those sporting events. One of the prerequisites to being licensed, like many jobs in the country, is to submit to basic drug tests that screen for recreational drugs.

It’s also worth noting that GAB doesn’t have the power to just confiscate people’s passports.

 

This process has been set for years, and countless sporting events for both local and international organizations have gone through this without any issues. President Duterte, while he is currently in the middle of this highly controversial ‘war on drugs’, has only been in position for 3 months.

 

What about claims that every single person or employee entering to host events are to be tested and are risking their passports being seized? I don’t doubt that people from the US side of things may think that’s actually happening — and who can blame them with all the craziness filling the media about the country? — but as a person living in this country, I can confidently say that doesn’t have much basis on facts.

 

Countless foreign organizations regularly host events in the Philippines from all kinds of entertainment and sporting events. Whether it’s broadway shows, sports, bands, DJs, or other celebrity appearances, that sort of thing happens in the country every week. Just recently, bands like Panic at the Disco, Third Eye Blind, and other famous acts performed. The WWE also just had a show in Manila as well, and same goes with other MMA organizations, and numerous others.

Did every single person from all those events pass their drug tests?

 

Saying that Duterte has a highly controversial approach is a real understatement, but regardless of what you think of his ‘war on drugs’, it certainly has nothing to do with these people’s passports. There’s a media frenzy right now, and a lot of it is truly warranted, but harassing every single foreigner and preventing them from leaving the country? That’s an act that would completely shut down tourism and cause chaos between nations. That would be a pretty wild allegation, even considering the already crazy atmosphere in the Philippines.

 

Much like how any of Duterte’s controversial statements spread like wildfire, if celebrities or foreigners are being illegally harassed and detained, you can bet that the world would hear about it.

 

[startoffbeat]

I was rooting for Hendo but a judge's mentality is that you cannot award a round to a fighter who waits for his opponent and then throw a counter. Even Hendo's coach told him that he cannot have another round (3) like that. Bisping was more aggressive and brought the fight and got caught twice. The price that you pay for being offensive is that you are open to those counter punches. As much as I hate Bisping, I scored the fight 3-2 for him. I already saw 3 fights in recent history go down the wire and have a decision that looked controversial: Machida-Rua 1, GSP-Hendricks and now Bisping-Hendo 2. Sporting commissions need to find a way to score these fights better. Judges seem to look more at statistics of strikes landed rather that damage caused to the opponent. Octagon rules also does not include the damage inflicted, which I think should be considered in scoring rounds. If they are too lazy to come up with something then just implement the old Pride rules of judging fights in their entirety. Good luck to Bisping defending that belt.

 

PS. F*ck the GAB for cancelling the Manila card. We are a growing international sporting venue and this d!ck move does not help in promoting us.

[Guiness]

I was rooting for Hendo but a judge's mentality is that you cannot award a round to a fighter who waits for his opponent and then throw a counter. Even Hendo's coach told him that he cannot have another round (3) like that. Bisping was more aggressive and brought the fight and got caught twice. The price that you pay for being offensive is that you are open to those counter punches. As much as I hate Bisping, I scored the fight 3-2 for him. I already saw 3 fights in recent history go down the wire and have a decision that looked controversial: Machida-Rua 1, GSP-Hendricks and now Bisping-Hendo 2. Sporting commissions need to find a way to score these fights better. Judges seem to look more at statistics of strikes landed rather that damage caused to the opponent. Octagon rules also does not include the damage inflicted, which I think should be considered in scoring rounds. If they are too lazy to come up with something then just implement the old Pride rules of judging fights in their entirety. Good luck to Bisping defending that belt.

 

PS. F*ck the GAB for cancelling the Manila card. We are a growing international sporting venue and this d!ck move does not help in promoting us.

 

 

I read the news about it. The UFC was the one who cancelled not the Gaming Board of the Philippines. Penn really got injured so he pulled out. Since they already made the schedule for the rest of the year. They will have to do another event next year. I wonder how the people who bought the tickets were taking the news. I heard there were some people who live nearby in asian countries who bought tickets were disappointed in the cancellation.

 

I also watched UFC 204 and Henderson gassed after the 1st round. He threw everything to put Bisping away but Bisping was able to survive the 1st round. From there he took his time being precise with his strikes while Henderson was too gassed to unload a big strike to knockout Bisping. He was pinning his hopes on this strategy hoping to put Bisping away with a knockout punch. Bisping was able to be composed and took his time staying away from Hendo's right hand and chipping away with the points

Edited October 11, 2016 by hahnz

[MrSniper88]

Hendo was beaten by father time. Not a bad performance for that age.

[startoffbeat]

If Penn needs to get well then I believe it is worth scrapping a card, regardless of who cancelled it. Penn is a future HOF and there is no point risking his health. Bet even his fans will be wishing him well. I am frustrated enough(pointing blames on anyone)and I did not buy a ticket. Imagine what what the ticket holders are thinking right now. What about the other fighters who will miss a payday? It sucks but it is what it is.

 

Hands up to Hendo calling it a career. The local crowd cheered for him after the fight. Won championships in multiple organizations and weight divisions. Sent the arrogant Wanderlei Silva to Rainbow Land kissing unicorns and riding magic carpets when they rematched in Pride. He was the last man to threaten Anderson Silva before Silva became Silva. Knocked out Fedor from an unlikely position. Went to war against Rua. Tapped out to Frank Shamrock when he has a youngster in the sport. Fought, beaten and lost to the who's who of the sport. Competed in the Olympics. Coaches and inspires other athletes in his gym. His career is something only other fighters can dream of. I am honored to have watched this guy do his thing.

[Guiness]

She's back: Ronda Rousey to return with title fight against Nunes at UFC 207

• Rousey will fight for first time in more than a year on 30 December
• UFC’s most popular female fighter has been inactive since 2015 loss
• Rousey to get immediate shot at bantamweight title against Nunes

 

Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s most popular female fighter, will fight for the first time in more than a year on 30 December when she faces Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight title fight at UFC 207.

 

Rousey’s return has been anticipated for some time as she recovered from injuries suffered in her upset loss to Holly Holm in UFC 193 and an unrelated knee surgery this past summer. Originally, the UFC had hoped she would return to fight Holm in their signature UFC 200 card in July but that was delayed because of her surgery. Nunes won the belt that had once been hers by beating Miesha Tate at that event, becoming the organization’s first openly gay champion. Nunes had said her first defense of the title had to come against Rousey, who had held it for more than three years.

Getting Rousey back is huge for the UFC. Next to Conor McGregor she is their biggest draw. A former Olympic bronze medalist in judo, she stormed into an MMA career in 2010 with a frenzy, winning her first 12 fights by either knockout or submission – all but one of those victories coming in the first round. Away from the ring she became a compelling, if occasionally profane, voice for women’s rights. Perhaps her strongest statement came in 2015 when she said she did not want to become a woman who was “a do-nothing bitch” , decrying those who “just want to be pretty and be taken care of by somebody else.” Her words became a rallying cry for many women and led to a hashtag campaign #DNB appearing that summer on signs and t-shirts.

 

She is easily the UFC’s most visible woman, showing up on national television commercials and television talk shows even after her loss to Holm. The defeat seemed to slow what had been a meteoric rise. She talked after the fight of having injured her teeth in the bout and was unable to chew an apple for several weeks. As the months dragged on and she did not sign on for another fight, many wondered if she needed more time to get over the loss. After recovering from the knee surgery she is apparently ready to fight again.

Once it was assumed she would fight Holm again in her first fight, but Holm lost that chance after she was beaten by Tate in March.

No other matches have been announced yet for UFC 207, which will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Edited October 13, 2016 by hahnz

[startoffbeat]

bahahaha what did this witch do to deserve a title shot? The UFC is a circus freakshow! This is what you get if a single company monopolizes the business, coming up with money fights instead of making matches that promote the sport. Unfortunately nobody in that division has a made a lot of noise this year as well.

 

If Ronda is still training with that douchebag of a coach named Edmond Tarverdyan then I am extending my congratulations to Nunes for a succesful title defense as early as now.

[bughaw1]

Cyborg vs ronda makes more sense.

[baron69]

Ronda needs a tune up fight that's why she was pitted against Nunez. She can't make a comeback unless she regains her confidence back.

 

And she needs that once she faces Cyborg.

[Guiness]

Dana White talks Ronda Rousey's return, whether or not she'll ever fight Cyborg - 'UFC Tonight'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33CPtWmqNw

 

 

 

according to Dana White, Ronda is willing to fight Cyborg. He mentions on UFC Tonight on Fox that Ronda will fight Amanda Nunes for the Bantamweight title and if she wins, the Cyborg fight will be a possibility.

 

He's setting up the Cyborg fight provided that Rousey is coming off a win and is the Bantamweight Champion.

 

But the Cyborg fight will be derailed if Rousey loses to Nunes.

[Guiness]

What's Next For Georges St-Pierre Now That The UFC Has Denied His Contract Termination?

Matt Connolly ,

Contributor

Georges St-Pierre is a free agent. Or so we thought. On Monday’s The MMA Hour podcast, the dominant UFC welterweight champion and arguably the greatest fighter of all time claimed he had parted ways with his longtime employer.

“I’m a free agent,” GSP told host Ariel Helwani. “My lawyer terminated my contract with the UFC.”

Apparently, the UFC doesn’t see it that way.

 

“Georges St-Pierre remains under an existing agreement with Zuffa, LLC as his MMA promoter,” the UFC said in a statement released on Monday night. “Zuffa intends to honor its agreement with St-Pierre and reserves its rights under the law to have St-Pierre do the same.”

 

In recent weeks and months, it had looked increasingly likely that St-Pierre would be returning from his three-year hiatus to headline UFC 206 in Toronto — a Dec. 10 event that the French-Canadian fighter singlehandedly could have sold out and turned into a pay-per-view powerhouse.

 

On June 20, GSP made it clear that he was ready to come back. On Aug. 10, he entered the testing pool for the UFC’s anti-doping partner (USADA), giving himself the standard four-month window for competitive eligibility. Just weeks later, he reaffirmed his intention to return at UFC 206, specifically.

“If they make (my contract) right, I’ll go in Toronto, no problem,” he said.

But according to St-Pierre, the UFC’s new owners were not willing to uphold a deal that former CEO Lorenzo Fertitta had laid out for him. As a result, the career announcement GSP alluded to earlier this month ended up being a declaration of independence rather than news of a homecoming.

 

Suddenly, the fighter that was once considered the ultimate company man finds himself at odds with his longtime employer. Given all that we know from St-Pierre’s revelatory interview, along with what we’ve learned from the past, what lies ahead for the MMA mega-star?

 

Georges St. Pierre broke the story on the MMA Hour hosted by Ariel Helwani. Saying that he is out of his contract and is a Free Agent

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEmXFkwIlc8

 

[Guiness]

Michael Bisping says he's verbally agreed to UFC 206 fight with Georges St-Pierre, just waiting on 'Rush'

 

 

Canadian fans complaining about UFC 206 might want to pay attention to Michael Bisping’s Twitter feed.

The UFC middleweight champ says he’s “verbally agreed” to a matchup on the card with Georges St-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC) and prodded the former UFC welterweight champion to put pen to paper.

“We all want more money,” Bisping (30-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) wrote. “But let’s go, sign the papers. Give the people of Toronto what they want, be a hero! Let’s go champ!”

 

Despite Bisping’s claims, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie that fans should temper their enthusiasm.

“There is no Bisping vs. ‘GSP’ fight in Toronto,” White told MMAjunkie via text. “I know Mike wants it, but it’s not happening.”

UFC 206 takes place Dec. 10 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The event airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass, though the bout order hasn’t been finalized.

 

Bisping’s comments are the latest development in a strange saga with St-Pierre. The 35-year-old hasn’t competed since beating Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013. According to the French-Canadian superstar, discussions about a UFC comeback started in February when he told the promotion he was eager to end his lengthy hiatus and return to competition.

“Rush,” who left the promotion on a run of 12 consecutive wins – a streak that includes nine defenses the 170-pound belt – felt he was making progress towards stepping back in the UFC, but the promotion was suddenly sold to new owners, and negotiations soured.

 

That prompted St-Pierre to declare himself a free agent, a stance that UFC officials opposed.

“Georges St-Pierre remains under an existing agreement with Zuffa, LLC as his MMA promoter,” a statement from the promotion read. “Zuffa intends to honor its agreement with St-Pierre and reserves its rights under the law to have St-Pierre do the same.”

MMAjunkie then spotted St-Pierre in Las Vegas, home of the UFC, last week, thought he declined to comment on his reason for being in town.

The latest UFC 206 card includes:

• Champ Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson – for light heavyweight title
• Poliana Botelho vs. Valerie Letourneau
• Zach Makovsky vs. John Moraga
• John Makdessi vs. Lando Vannata
• Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Drew Dober
• Rustam Khabilov vs. Jason Saggo
• Misha Cirkunov vs. Nikita Krylov
• Dooho Choi vs. Cub Swanson
• Li Jingliang vs. Chad Laprise
• Emil Meek vs. Jordan Mein

[Guiness]

Conor McGregor is nothing more than a left hand - UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez

EDDIE ALVAREZ isn't too worried about Conor McGregor's striking arsenal.

By Chisanga Malata /

Published 28th October 2016

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIYJjDN921M

Alvarez will defend his lightweight title against McGregor in the main event of UFC 205 on November 12.

The champion vs. champion bout, which takes places at Madison Square Garden, will provide McGregor with the opportunity to become the fighter in UFC history to hold two titles at the same time.

McGregor, who goes into the contest on the back of a majority-decision victory over Nate Diaz, has vowed to claim the lightweight crown by registering a first-round knockout.

 

Alvarez, who has only been finished by strikes once in his career, has laughed off The Notorious' bold claim and has promised to end the Irish's dream of ruling two weight classes at the same time in emphatic fashion.

For McGregor to have any chance of delivering on his promise, he will more than likely have to punish Alvarez with his trademark counter left cross - the punch which ended Jose Aldo's long reign at the top of the featherweight division.

Alvarez is well aware of the power McGregor possesses in his left hand and reckons that's his opponent's only weapon.

 

"To me, he’s just a left hand,” Alvarez said during an appearance on the MMA Roasted podcast. “He’s just a guy with a left hand. That’s how I see him.

"He does something that we call a ‘rock back’ well. Mayweather does it.

"A lot of Philly fighters do it. [McGregor] lives and breathes off it. A lot of MMA guys don’t know about these boxing things that they do.

 

"This is a move that’s very easily taken away and we’re going to dominate every step of the way."

Alvarez, 28-4, then went on to reveal that he and his head coach Mark Henry have a plan in place to nullify McGregor's trademark counter strike.

“Without giving away a game plan or anything, everything’s taken away with the proper preparation," he added.

 

"I’m confident in my coaches, I’m confident in our game plan and our ability to go out there and do it.

"We’re just following this game plan step-by-step.”

[Hari ng Spakol]

any recommended MMA gym in Makati area?

 

There's one in Evangelista Bangkal makati

[justsomeguynextdoor]

 

There's one in Evangelista Bangkal makati

 

KMA - Tordesilals St, Salcedo..

[Guiness]

UFC 205: Pre-fight Press Conference Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtZHlmxjzY

 

UFC 205: Pre-fight Press Conference Faceoffs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKdAC-sViY

 

UFC 205: Eddie Alvarez vs Conor McGregor Press Conference Faceoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJojI5x8HU

Edited November 11, 2016 by hahnz